Like most other states, Missouri uses assessments intended to measure whether students are on a pathway to "college and career readiness." The state longitudinal data system now has the capacity to directly test that claim. We make use of 8th-grade assessment (MAP) scores in Math, Science, and Communication Arts for roughly 260,000…

The heterogeneity in the developmental trajectories of math motivational beliefs (i.e., expectancies for success and subjective task value beliefs) was examined among Asian and Latinx male and female students from Southern California across Grades 8 through 10 (n = 2,710; 50% female; 85% Latinx; 15% Asian; M[subscript age] = 13.77). By conducting…

This study explores lower secondary school teachers' arguments and perceptions for using a 26-point grading scale (26-PGS), and gender differences in assessment practice. An explanatory sequential design was conducted. First, teachers (n = 6) assessment of students' text (n = 182) was analysed. In the subsequent phase, an open-ended questionnaire…

To increase engagement with science and technology, young people around the world are encouraged to attend activities at science centers. But how effective are these activities? Since women have weaker ability beliefs and interest in technology than men, it is especially important to learn how science center visits affect them. In this study, we…

There are consistent correlations between mathematics achievement, attitudes, and anxiety, but the longitudinal relations among these constructs are not well understood nor are sex differences in these relations. To address this gap, mathematics achievement, attitudes, and anxiety were longitudinally assessed for 342 (169 boys) adolescents from…

Youth with greater levels of narcissism face a wide array of difficulties in interactions with others. However, there exists a curious lack of research on their close relationships, such as friendships. In this study, we examined associations between narcissism and friendship features over time. Participants were 261 eighth and ninth graders (112…

Background: Math anxiety (MA) is a worldwide appearing academic anxiety that can affect student mental health and deter students from math and science-related career choices. Method: Using the Arabic version of the Modified-Abbreviated Math Anxiety Scale (m-AMAS), the prevalence of MA was investigated in a very large sample of students (N = 10093)…

The researchers investigated adolescent perceptions of school climate and academic self-efficacy over time for a group of Grade 7 through Grade 9 students. We followed 717 students in an ethnically diverse school district in a small town in northern Ohio from fall 2009 to spring 2011. Four waves of data collected in surveys each fall and spring…

Research studies show that students' grades are more predictive than test scores of their future academic success, including high school and post-secondary outcomes. Chicago Public Schools (CPS) recognizes the importance of grades through its longstanding "Bs or Better" campaign. Yet within CPS, boys' grades are consistently lower than…

This study examined whether adolescent students' externalizing behavior and prosocial behavior affects their academic achievement (i.e., school grades and standardized test scores) in two major academic domains (i.e., mathematics and German) over and above well-established determinants of school achievement (i.e., prior achievement, intelligence,…

The aim of this paper is to examine the attitudes of upper grades of middle school towards the STEM field depending on several variables. An empirical-non-experimental research was conducted without any treatment on participants. The research included 246 students of seventh, eighth and ninth grade students (ages between 12 and 15) from one public…

This research study sought to determine the effects of Flipped Classroom Instruction (FCI) on middle-grade students' mathematics achievement. In an FCI environment, students are initially exposed to new content outside of the classroom, through screencasts and assigned readings; class time is reserved for answering questions and engaging students…

Peer victimization is a common concern in adolescence that includes both relational (e.g., exclusion, rumor spreading) and overt (e.g., hitting, threatening) forms (Crick & Bigbee, 1998). Relational and overt peer victimization have shown to be differentially associated with depressive symptoms, with relational peer victimization showing a…

This paper explored the critical reading strategies and reading performance of junior high school (JHS) students enrolled in both public and private schools. 628 JHS answered the adapted survey questionnaire developed by Anderson and Krathwohl (2001) and a researcher-made reading test. The results revealed that JHS students had a high level of…

Background: Recent research on boredom suggests that it can emerge in situations characterized by over- and under-challenge. In learning contexts, this implies that high boredom may be experienced both by low- and high-achieving students. Aims: This research aimed to explore the existence and prevalence of boredom due to being over- and…